The Dark Knight - Nostalgia Critic

[@ChannelAwesome]

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[@chasehedges6775]

The answer is simple: YES! 💯💯💯💯💯💯

[@jerricablackcat4303]

My brother actually gave that title to The Batman. Can you bring Raiders of the Story Arc back? If you do can you talk about Justice League - Secret Origins (or as I like to call it Superman 4: The Good Version)?

[@jboi_2008]

The DC Animated Batman

[@theshenpartei]

No wrong there

[@jimmyrossmeissl6644]

The best Batman of all time

[@MikeP828]

Lucius didn’t tell Reese that no one would believe him, he implied that trying to blackmail a billionaire that beats criminals up for fun wouldn’t be the smartest thing to do.

[@etharchildres3976]

I take it both ways One hand, your blackmailing Batman. The other you probably sound crazy. Either way it’s a lose lose situation.

[@CCaster2000]

Plus he would've become a target to both Joker and the many criminals of Gotham, too.

[@simpleanswer8954]

@@CCaster2000 You mean just like he did in the movie?

[@Regfife]

@@etharchildres3976 Or said billionaire could sue you for defamation.

[@freedustin]

@@Regfife has to be false to be defamation.

[@zalybrainlessgenius503]

Fun detail about Joker's not so random backstories - they always connect to his current prey; He tells Rachel (a bride to be) about his ex wife and he tells a street gangster about his abusive father - something he assumes he probably had. He personalizes his backstories to reality-check his victims. Makes me that much curious about what he would tell Batman during the "fireworks" scene.

[@razvanungureanu9878]

Something like this: "My mother was a maid at this rich man's house and he was quite fond to her. They had an affair and then...here I am; their love child. :) When I found who he was, I came to see him. I only needed a hug; but you know what?...he denied it!!! Tells me that my mother was crazy and invented the whole thing...after that, I just couldn't smile anymore, so I do this with a razor blade. Now...I don't see my life as a tragedy, but a comedy." Slits Batman's throat and blows up the two ships. THE END

[@zalybrainlessgenius503]

@@razvanungureanu9878 Interesting, but does the Dark Knight Joker know Batman is Bruce Wayne tho?

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

The story he tells Gambol about the abusive father was also appropriate since when he crashed the sitdown, he made a point of intentionally angering Gambol by noting the relationship with his grandmother ("If we don't deal with this now, soon…little, uh, Gambol here won't be able to get a nickel for his grandma").

[@theblackmanwholaughs6670]

Bruce's life and Batman's entire existence is a "why so serious?" story... Bruce has a lot of "scars" and we know how he got them... Imagine the joker would say: (Me and my girlfriend were out seeing a movie when a guy came out with a knife and tried to mug us. I wasn't armed so we gave him what we had. As he ran away I started to get angry thinking to myself "how dare this random thug take something precious from me that is mine" so I chase him. I catch up to him in an alley and we start to tussle. He beats me up grabs his knife and pins me down. He raises the knife to my face and says "Why so serious?"

[@Overseer2579]

I noticed that more nowadays too. It makes more sense than the stories actually having happened

[@StephySon]

I literally studied this film in my Mass Media course in college, it’s been selected for preservation in the U.S National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being culturally, historically, or aesthetically pleasing. That’s how amazing this film is . . . We miss you Heath

[@traxathon4464]

Fun fact: that long drone in the Joker's theme was achieved by taking a giant extended razor blade and dragging it along the violin. I don't even know how Hans Zimmer comes up with this stuff but by God is it amazing

[@silverstarlightproductions1292]

That explains so much!

[@MrKlausbaudelaire]

Didn’t he also hit a piano with a car to get those notes for Sherlock Holmes’s iconic tunes? Because I still love that theme!

[@jareththegoblinking3191]

@Ergotth “hit a piano with a car” Brilliant!

[@0g0dn0]

Was it violin string? Because I'm certain it was piano wire. That's the sound of metal on metal, extra tension.

[@Shadow1Yaz]

Wow! … that is AMAZING trivia.

[@jgreg3596]

The joker interrogation scene is basically a flawless scene. The dialogue, acting, camerawork, music. All flawless.

[@chasehedges6775]

Fantastic scene. Especially Heath Ledger’s laugh.

[@chasehedges6775]

@@timewarriorsaga Dude, what the heck?

[@angstygoblinentertainment1097]

@@timewarriorsaga why

[@rilluma]

@@timewarriorsaga ye a and the camera operator is visible in the window half a second. jk its true but the scene is perfect if there is one

[@BenJPics9925]

Damn right.

[@joshuaessenburg7174]

I disagree with him getting over Rachel quickly in the film. There’s that heartbreaking moment at the end where Two-Face asks Batman why he was the only one who lost everything. Batman pauses and says, “It wasn’t.” That little moment made it clear he’s still mourning. But the mission must go on.

[@DinkLink]

Batman is meant to be a stoic, so anything more than what was given would be out of character

[@obitwokenobi9808]

That to me is Batman. No matter what happens, he will solider on but still feel the pain of loss.

[@DSan-kl2yc]

@@DinkLink I mean Batman has cried quite often and that's in character

[@MrMarinus18]

Though I actually would have liked some genuine moments of vulnerability. That he does cry and is hugged by his father figure and he just sobs. I don't think it would reduce his masculinity at all. If anything it will make him even more badass cause he's batman because he chooses to be batman, not because he's too insecure to be anything else. It also would show just how much they care about each other and just be a greed scene in general. A very slow scene of intimacy and compassion as we are calming down from the adrenaline filled spectacle from before.

[@Nick64266]

I preferred his stoic demeanor to Peter Parker’s crying in Spider-Man 3

[@ajtheva6694]

Fun Fact: In Michael Canes autobiography, he explained that when he did his scene with Heath Ledger (he didn't see him in Joker makeup) that he was glad he didn't get any lines as he was so scared he'd probably forgot them.

[@koneheadcokehead4981]

cool

[@CrossJeniel]

Heather ledger is,death remember?

[@valdie91285]

Yeah, we know

[@JachAnen]

The way that is usually told, is that he did have a line and he did forget in the moment

[@LucianDevine]

Another fun fact, though not related to Michael Cane. Whenever somebody had to say their lines and react to the Joker, even if the Joker had no speaking lines that day, Heath would still get in full makeup so that they wouldn't have to imagine what they were reacting to. He'd get in full makeup, garb, and character just to help them be in the right mindset for their own character.

[@hunterkiller1440]

The writing, cinematography, acting, and directing in this film is superb. And in a way, this film ruined a generation of films because of copycats. Reminds me of this Batman inspiring a bunch of fake Batmen.

[@TexZenMaster]

And inspiring a lot of fake jokers..

[@robt.v.8688]

It also inspired a bunch of fake Jokers too. I remember there being an uptake in arson after this movie came out.

[@chasehedges6775]

@@dreamlandnightmare 💯💯💯💯👍👍👌. So true

[@leephillips4402]

@@dreamlandnightmare unfortunately then DC started superficially copying this and the MCU, dark days.

[@linkinparkrulz2275]

If they would've cut out that stupid china subplot and fixed some of the silly contrivances (The Joker just HAPPENING to get bashed against the wall so that a shard of glass that would not even physically be possible to break at that plane to be there to be the big twist that he "planned" to get caught) it would be a perfect film. It's hard not to argue that it's flawed, though.

[@timothymarcoux6569]

Apparently Heath's performance as Joker was so good that Maggie Gyllenhaal's fear is genuine in that scene where he gives another backstory, she was supposed to speak some lines but just couldn't

[@romdan7136]

Holy balls. Now i'm wondering how Bale managed to not forget lines XD

[@bombasticblunderbuss0918]

@@romdan7136 He is the American psychopath after all.

[@colonel1003]

Same with Michael Caine

[@catchannel1484]

@@romdan7136 Because he's Batman

[@FallenAngel1508]

Yea, it was the first time she saw him in his Joker makeup & it really freaked her out to the point where she couldn't look at him!

[@coolnerdlll6053]

One of my favorite lines in this movie that nobody really talks about: "Why do you need to know the time?" "Because depending on the time, he may be in one spot or several."

[@chasehedges6775]

All the dialogue in this movie is good. 💯💯💯

[@johnhart8856]

Also loved that they did a variation of the same line in season 2 of gotham

[@lordofslugs2700]

If we’re gonna play games .. I’m gonna need a cup of coffee

[@GrayWoIf]

I remember at the time I thought hmm maybe he's in a moving car....but with hindsight this line is so funny.

[@davidjohnson8231]

@@lordofslugs2700 ah the good cop, bad cop routine?

[@deadbynightupbylunch]

What I like about the “blow up the other boat” scene near the end is while the Joker said the detonators were for the other boat. Who’s to say it wasn’t for their own? This is the same guy who told Batman where Harvey and Rachel were but had switched their addresses.

[@dc_al_coda]

You and I had the exact same thought.

[@jessedellross3245]

Good point. It would be in Jokers character to turn the citizens of Gotham against each other and have it backfire on them. And of course we see he was never going to give them the choice to begin with. He was gonna blow them up either way.

[@mdeac48]

I've always assumed that they quotidian have blown themselves up. Or maybe that only the citizen boat was going to blow, leaving the criminals extra mad even if they didn't do it

[@clusterflick6333]

@@jessedellross3245 Actually, I think the opposite. Joker doesn't just want to kill people, he wants to show that they're all like him. He would've wanted the civilians to KNOW that they're murderers too, to *see* the people they've killed, and he would've wanted them to live with that fact every day, for the rest of their lives. That's more in line with this Joker's "sense of humor" than just switching the two for the lulz.

[@0Fyrebrand0]

I feel like Joker wouldn't want to "tell the same joke twice." Don't wanna wear it out!

[@bromodragone8405]

23:14 Heath, we didn't deserve you. Rest in peace, you absolute badass.

[@derianardor]

I think one of the greatest things about rewatching the dark knight is finding myself laughing at jokers macabre humor. When it the right mood he is ACTUALLY FUNNY in the best way possible

[@AndreNitroX]

Joker is at his best when he is being both terrifying and funny at the same time

[@SSDexter99]

Well, slaughter is the best medicine

[@thebatman4279]

"They won't work.. for a freak!" "Fa-theeekk" 😂

[@spidergatian385]

Its like Doug said in his Batman Returns review. Must be this fucked up to enjoy (and he shows a picture of the Adam's family) should we find it funny? Probably not. But hey it's a movie so, y’know, not real first of all, and second we're sadistic fucks 😂

[@Deepsilverwolf]

I love the “Hit me” scene it’s so psychologically brilliant. If joker died he wins if he didn’t then his plan continues and it’s so brilliant

[@LucianDevine]

Exactly! If he dies he managed to make Batman break his one rule. If he wins he gets to expose and potentially kill Batman, and he would have if not for Gordan.

[@MaMastoast]

@@LucianDevine dont think its about making batman break a rule.. don't think it's been established in these movies... But rather having batman ruthlessly drive into someone would turn him from a symbol of hope into a monster.

[@LucianDevine]

@@MaMastoast He said it himself in the interrogation, they both did. Batman: "I have one rule." Joker: Oh, then that's rule you'll have to break to know the truth.

[@lalallama2298]

I love how he looks so disappointed that Batman didn't run him over.

[@Alvaro89Rus]

or, you know, he just dies, and will not hurt anybody anymore.

[@michaellynch3502]

“Ah! Could you please just give me a minute!?” I feel that this line is criminally underrated since it’s right before the surprise reveal of Gordon, but I love it. The delivery is superb and it shows actual frustration from the Joker, which makes it even more entertaining, for me anyway.

[@gageperuti5519]

This wasn't Heath Ledger's final film. He did a Terry Gilliam film titled "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus" that was released after. However, this was the final film of his that had finished shooting before he died. His remaining scenes in the other film had to be shot with Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Ferrell (all friends of his) taking over the role and the movie explaining the character's changing appearance.

[@LucyLioness100]

I imagine Doug is only calling it his final role since he completed the whole film & “Dr. Parnassus” is sadly mostly forgotten by audiences

[@jonbourgoin182]

Congrats on being a know-it-all, I appreciate this fun fact though

[@easymentality]

Yeah, I'd expect a "critic" like Critic to know better than he does here.

[@josephwood8274]

Dr Parnassus is such a fun interesting movie. It's a shame it doesn't have much recognition

[@orcas800]

Thanks, I was about to comment on this too. I am surprised that he got this wrong.

[@mikecabral2420]

Another fun fact: The car that Bruce crashes and save his employee that was trying blackmail was another Easter egg. He is driving a Lamboghini Murceliago. Murceliago is Italian for bat so even when Batman is acting as Bruce Wayne he is still driving a bat mobile.

[@0Fyrebrand0]

That sounded weird to me so I looked it up and from what I can tell "murcielago" is Spanish, not Italian. But still, that is a WILD thing to do for a tiny reference most people would never notice.

[@mikecabral2420]

Yeah, I find it is often small details like these are often shown in great movies in anyplace they can put them. I think it is because it is a sign of passion and a movie made from a place of passion is often gonna be a better movie than one made just to make a movie.

[@Montesama314]

"I have an army of pencils ready to take him down" sounds like a legitimate Joker line.

[@ICantThinkOfANameB]

23:30 Fun fact, if you look at Joker's hand when he is holding the gun for Dent, his finger is on the hammer. If Dent pulled the trigger, the gun still wouldn't fire. Joker, while confident, still leaves himself some room to wiggle through, like how he still had a backup detonator for the boats at the climax as opposed to just putting them on a timer.

[@killar1one]

There’s numerous shots in that scene were the joker doesn’t have his hand placed on the guns hammer?

[@SlasherIncorporated]

Never noticed that before. But that little detail actually kind of ruins the scene for me. Gambling with his life is a very 'Joker' thing to do. He never cared if he died. He is so insane that dying was something he'd be willing to do just to try and prove a point.

[@ICantThinkOfANameB]

@@SlasherIncorporated Mmm, I get the idea of what you are saying, but it was always wanting BATMAN to kill him, to "break his one rule," to prove he was a hypocrite. If he was killed by some random goon or victim, it wouldn't be what he liked. It's the reason he never lets anyone who threatens him or shows disloyalty live, or even let loyal ones stay too long. He wants to live to enjoy the chaos, with the exception of dying at Batman's hand, because to him, Batman is the endgoal. Break him, no one steps up to fill his place. Ultimate destruction of the idea of Batman. He knows Batman is unique, even more so with a code he never breaks.

[@Wouldyoukindly4545]

I especially loved the line where the Joker says "you have nothing to threaten me with" because that is why the Joker is terrifying. It doesn't matter to him what is done to him, he won't stop for anything and even after being arrested or killed, his plot doesn't stop.

[@LucianDevine]

Yup, he doesn't care about his own safety, and he doesn't care about anyone or anything else. You can beat him up all you want, but you have no leverage on him. He will only tell you what he wants you to know, and even that might only be half truths or straight up lies. Everything is one big mind game. Do you trust what he tells you? Do you do the opposite? Will he count on you not believing him even if he tells the truth? He is in complete control, whether he's in custody or not, because he is the only person who has seen the whole picture. Everybody else only gets bits and pieces, like the robbers at the beginning.

[@jessedellross3245]

It’s why he’s the ONLY character Batman should ever consider breaking his “no killing” rule. The rest of his rouges gallery have the chance to be rehabilitated or at least kept in prison. Joker? Not so much. It’s why I agreed with Jason Todd in the Red Hood movie. Killing Joker doesn’t mean Batman breaks his rule, it means he saves countless lives from Jokers wrath.

[@javaughndouglas3641]

@@jessedellross3245 My flaw with this ideology always is, why can't somebody else do it? Joker isn't Batman's responsibly alone, he's the responsibility of the GCPD. I understand why Gordon doesn't but you'd think with all the crime bosses, supervillains, metahumans, corrupt cops and even good cops and people that have just been screwed over by him, why do people keep thrusting the responsibility of checking the Joker to Batman, who they acknowledge won't kill him in anything but the most extreme scenarios? The Joker can be proven to premeditate his plans, therefore he has no claim to medical insanity and can therefore get the death penalty. But now he's always let go, because comics gotta comic. I just wanna have one story that makes you remember that the Joker is a regular human, and can therefore die to regular human stuff. We get that with Batman every once in a while but Joker never gets that treatment.

[@doloreslehmann8628]

@@jessedellross3245 And he doesn't even have to kill him in person. May I quote Firefly? "I never killed anyone." - "No, you just put them in a position to die easily."

[@wolfgangamadeusmozart1293]

Ledger, Phoenix and Nicholson are great jokers. Leto however....

[@3DSage]

Fun fact. At 5:34, the books on the left are organized, and the files on the right are messy foreshadowing Harvey's turn into Two-Face.

[@justinsarcedo9355]

Oh, didn't notice that. Nice eye for detail. It's like a callback to the previous film ending with the Joker card.

[@questworldiangreenknight7455]

Oh god…that awesomely messed up! 😃😂😂😂

[@koneheadcokehead4981]

I kind of wonder if Ledger was still with us would more people cast him in more big and serious films it's such a shame he's gone but at least he gave us one of the best Joker performances ever!

[@gabrielhersey5546]

He was supposed to be in the dark knight rises. Supposedly he’s an enemy of bane and his plans as is and Batman stuck in the middle (rumors)

[@MrKlausbaudelaire]

He was also in the criminally underrated “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” and his death was mid-production, luckily after all his scenes in the real world were done, and they cleverly had his character change to Collin Farrel, Jude Law AND johnny Depp everytime he went from the real world to the Imaginarium.

[@Alejandroigarabide]

If he was still alive, Nolan's Batman would be part of the DCEU just to have Heath as the Joker.

[@orangeslash1667]

@@gabrielhersey5546 The Critic wants the Dark knight to be two moves but I don't if that would have be possible if Ledger died in 2008.

[@AlexMathiesen]

Because of his death, it feels like this Joker performance is on mythic proportions. The Joker is so different from his other roles, and he never got to talk about it in interviews, or accept his oscar, so all that remains is one fantastic performance, and that's it.

[@katpocalypsemeow4554]

The end where Gordon is doing his little speech as Batman flees ALWAYS gives me goose bumps. Even just the little clip included here does it.

[@0Fyrebrand0]

It's very cool and thematic, but also a bit funny to remember that when Gordon's son asks him why the cops are chasing Batman, this is his answer. Gordon breaks into this long, poetic monologue, and I bet the kid has no idea what the hell he's even talking about. Imagine if it cut back to the kid at the last instant, and he's like: "Dad, you're being weird."

[@ahabduennschitz7670]

"... because he can take it. Hes a watchful Protector. A Silent Gu..." "Ok but can we go to KFC now?"

[@thebasedgodmax1163]

@@0Fyrebrand0 that's nolan's dialogue writing in a nutshell (it's dumb)

[@johnschwalb]

We were there opening night and the movie cut during the speach. The theater workers all came in and claimed the movie was over. The theater was full of people shouting "bull shit he was mid word"

[@thebatman4279]

@@ahabduennschitz7670 (Gordon procceds to make a long winded, dramatic monologue about the origins of KFC)

[@Prodigial]

23:40 Joker ironically doesn't get lucky here. Despite what he says, he's always a man with a plan; he has a goal and he knows what he has to do to get it done. His finger is on the hammer of the gun so, even if Dent pulls the trigger, the gun won't go off. He needed to get Dent to expose himself but didn't want to jeopardize his own life. He gets "lucky" in that the coin went his way anyway and he didn't end up needing to kill Dent and got the man to fall.

[@bludreem121]

I've always theorized that the Joker actually gave each ferry the trigger to their own bomb. It seems right up his alley to get a kick out of people killing themselves thinking they were saving themselves. Especially the "eat each other" bit. "Civilized people" willing to blow up others to save themselves aren't worth the air they breathe.

[@LucianDevine]

Same, while also potentially framing the people on the other boat for the explosion, because I think he broadcasted his voice in that section to the entire city, but I could be wrong about that.

[@l8126]

Same, it's basically the same thing he did with Harvey and Rachel before but this time the ones being tricked were the victims themselves.

[@assassincharizard]

Or... Both triggers would work on both boats.

[@morganyoung3557]

That actually sounds like something that the Joker would do.

[@LadyDecember]

The first time I saw this movie that's _exactly_ what I thought was going to happen! Since no one triggered the bombs to know for sure though, it's still my headcanon that they were rigged that way anyway.

[@Kal_g]

The part where Joker breaks the pool cue in half, and hands it to Gambol's men and says "...so, we're gonna have...tryouts" was one of my favorite Joker moments from this movie.

[@turtlesallthewaydown8831]

I think he killed the winner anyway..

[@Kal_g]

@@turtlesallthewaydown8831 That is something Joker would do.

[@deadcool3227]

I firmly believe that Joker didn't know exactly how it would all work out, he was wing it for most of the time, which, of course, would be insane

[@jacindaellison3363]

If that's the case, he was one lucky guy!

[@11Survivor]

​@@jacindaellison3363He had the skill to seize the opportunities presented.

[@UglyKenHart]

Yeah, I always found whenever some people would perceive his his plan as brilliant, they were missing the point. Joker wasn’t planning everything, he was just very lucky and very good at riding the waves of chaos. His motivation and even his ultimate goals were purposely left vague and ever-shifting, which made him scarier. That mystique, ends up making him so inexplicable that it ramps up the tension, because you literally can never tell what his next move will be.

[@dayvin408]

To be fair, on Bruce mourning Rachel, at the end where Dent asks "Then why was it me who was the only one who lost everything?!" And Batman even answers sounding sad replying "It wasn't."

[@LucianDevine]

He also had revenge on his mind. That's when he started setting up the sonar network, being willing to "burn the forest down" in order to catch the proverbial bandit.

[@spidergatian385]

The other thing to is, the rest of the movie is such a tense and extreme event that Bruce can't focus on his grief or take the time to process it. It makes no sense to me that Doug says he gets over it easy. Anyone who has seen DKR knows that once all the huge problems in this movie were dealt with, Bruce is so affected by Rachel's death that HE SPENDS YEARS IN COMPLETE ISOLATION with no hope of happiness or will to live

[@coolnerdlll6053]

@@spidergatian385 Doug loves to rip apart DKR for no reason. He says it makes no sense, but he lets this movie off the hook because "eh...comic book movie". If the review for DKR isn't just complete nitpicking, he's going to be the biggest hypocrite since Trump.

[@MrMarinus18]

Perhaps but I still think it was a missed opportunity to have Bruce really show vulnerability after all that badassery. That he needs a little encouragement but afterwards starts crying and is then hugged as he breaks down into sobs about his loss. I don't think showing him sobbing and needing support erodes his masculinity at all. If they had done that I think it would have gone down in cinema history as one of the most heart breaking scene's of all time. The set-up was also perfect with all the massive explosions and action so to then have a very quiet, slow and intimate moment would have hit so incredibly hard. Maybe even stronger if you actually do stop the movie there. Batman sobbing but having a loving shoulder to cry on and the villain not having anyone and going mad with his emotions.

[@linkinparkrulz2275]

The whole idea behind Batman taking the hit for Harvey is echoed when Alfred burns the letter that says Rachel chooses Harvey over him. The whole theme of the movie is telling people what they want to hear vs. telling them the truth, a theme that is echoed in the final sequence when the Joker is foiled by people doing the right thing and not detonating the bomb. Nolan is acknowledging that the audience needs to see good win in the end and believe that people have an overall selfless moral center, when in reality that's as subjective and up for debate as anything else. This movie is WAY deeper than a lot of people give it credit for, and it should be watched at least three times to fully understand.

[@jdpragmatic8644]

25:17 You see Harvey buckle his seatbelt before he shoots the driver. THAT is what happened there.

[@matthewmuir8884]

Fun fact: one of the reasons that the scenes where Joker videotapes himself are so scary is that Nolan basically let Ledger direct the Joker footage himself, so it really is The Joker making his own videos.

[@lim3400]

he directed the last one.

[@ImAFatNerd90]

5:12 Pause here and look at the background. Look how organized the law books are on the left and look how messy the casefiles are on the right. This is actually foreshadowing Harvey Dent's eventual turn into Two-Face.

[@Mr.Murphy2802]

Heaths commitment to his role is what I admire the most about this movie. Apparently in the interrogation scene heath told Christian to actually hit him and slam his head against the window to get the full effect, its absolutely terrifying

[@sytherwusky]

I use Heath as an example on why method acting should only be used sparingly

[@Mr.Murphy2802]

@@sytherwusky honestly it’s frightening how far one can go with it. Makes me respect RDJs character in tropic thunder Kirk Lazarus a lot more. It’s a complete piss take of these actors that push themselves that far but still showing the effort behind it

[@CB0Otz]

Honestly one of my strongest memories associated with this movie was the advertisements. Heath Ledger Joker painting a smile in red lipstick (or blood?) on a non-transparent glass window. The image of Harvey holding an election button pin that says 'I BELIEVE in Harvey Dent'. The MASSIVE cardboard cutouts of Batman on the surprisingly intimidating Bat-cycle. The marketing was so simple, yet it managed to capture the exact tone and emotion of the movie to the point where it almost felt like an extension of the experience of watching it.

[@silvervalleystudios2486]

If you want to go down the path of simple marketing look no further than Batman 89. The black and gold bat symbol was everywhere.

[@worldofthought8352]

The movie advertisements were among some of the best, the advertising was very smart and effective, including harvey dent's, even more so in making him a character to stand out. What I also liked was some of the fan videos that were parodying towards the release (They may have been part of a contest I'm not too sure) along them was a video doing a satirical Gotham news reel. I think the hype towards the release had a mix of creative elements from marketing and the fans was exceptional.

[@co81385]

The viral marketing for this movie really was fantastic. I feel like this movie, and Cloverfield, really set a standard for marketing a movie in the age of the internet.

[@QuantaSolace]

Ledger really made a terrifying Joker. I still get chills when I watch the scene with him and the Batman impersonator.

[@wolfgangamadeusmozart1293]

The fact that he locked himself in a hotel room for over a month to get in the mindset of the warped character is well known, but less so is the journal he created and used as inspiration for the character.

[@theafton_vhs6420]

Fun fact that you might have missed: In the Harvey Two-Face hospital scene The Joker is actually holding the hammer on the gun Harvey has pointed at his head so no matter if Harvey chose to shoot The Joker or not the result would be the same.

[@Visman117]

A thing I noticed is when you look at how the joker is holding Harvey's gun to his head, even if he pulled the trigger the jokers finger would still depress the hammer so he was always in control

[@LucianDevine]

True, but he could just as easily have let go if the coin landed differently. I 100% believe that he'd be willing to die to a 50/50 coin flip if it meant his plan to tear the fabric of society apart still went off without a hitch. He did play chicken with Batman, daring him to run him over, and taunt him during the interrogation, telling him that the only way he could be beaten was for Batman to break that one rule.

[@jessedellross3245]

Yeah I was hoping Doug will point that out. Joker gave the illusion of control to Dent while still protecting himself. For a guy who says he doesn’t have plan or is a dog chasing cars…..

[@charliecomer6001]

Yeah, his actions seem too big brain to NOT be planned

[@OutlawsBebop]

Joker laughing hysterically on his way down during his fall is my favorite part in the whole movie.

[@MegaTech81]

Interesting thing to note is he's laughing because batman told him a joke. "speaking of which, you know how I got these scars?" "No, but I know how you got these"

[@TgsMaverick]

@@MegaTech81 I interpret it moreso as what Joker said earlier in the movie: "In their last moments, people show who they really are..." When Joker thought he was dying, he was laughing hysterically.

[@Lotselance]

@@TgsMaverick or, because he thought he'd finally gotten Batman to break his "one rule" of killing him in cold blood

[@Thespeedrap]

For some reason I actually hoped Batman wouldve let that Joker fall down dead and The Burton version Batman saved that Joker.Given how crazy both actors had the different conclusion both to their roles and lives afterwards.At least Jack still kicking Ledger is just flat out 💀

[@DMAN590]

Mine too. As others have mentined Hes laughing at Batmans Joke about the scars Laughing showing you who he really is (his earlier quote) and laughing because Batman broke his rule (or so he thought)

[@shyguy9615]

I was 12 when this movie came out. I remember how explosive it was, pun intended. It really did change how we look at not only comic book movies, but movies in general. Great action, great writing, great acting (RIP Heath Ledger) One of my favorite movies ever!

[@Malwontae]

I have to admit, I agree that ending this movie on Harvey in the hospital might have been the best for the trilogy in an ideal world where Ledger was still alive for the next movie. You could have had Two-Face going after Joker, with Batman caught in the middle, and you could have still brought Bane in if you wanted. Just drop the whole Talia angle, as it didn't work for me, and obviously it opens up so many plot holes that do hurt the movie.

[@jessedellross3245]

Agreed. Talk about a chilling suspenseful cliffhanger that would leave fans wanting more. Doug is right that everything after the hospital blowing up feels very added on. Still good but just a little too much.

[@GalenNight]

Would have been a good cliffhanger that got people hyped for the next movie

[@akmal94ibrahim]

Nahh, it would piss me off. I'd call it a cheap sequel bait

[@timsaylor4390]

I actually think it works better as is. The Joker isn't simply a menace, he's the titular unstoppable force in his speech. He's a runaway freight train that doesn't quit and leaves you as battered and exhausted as Batman is near the end of the film. So him breaking out and causing even more chaos during the same film works in his favor. Would have still preferred if they kept Harvey alive for the third film.

[@spidergatian385]

I understand where this point comes from, I just disagree. If the dark knight movies were only ever going to be a trilogy, making Joker/Dent expand over two movies is a bit off. That's two movies with the same themes in place and dynamics. Two movies about Order vs. Chaos, and Joker trying to make the same point in part 2 as the first one. If they could make 4 movies, its a little different. But what makes the trilogy so good is that every movie has a completely different point to make, and each one makes sense to the character in question. All three movies try to do something different, and tries to evolve the character of Batman. This movie shows that to start he is just Batman, no flaws or anything he just stops crime and is perfect, until it blows up in his face with a criminal like the Joker, that he honestly couldn't even understand bc there's no motive for the crimes. Great point to the movie. But the third installment, with as many problems and mistakes as it has, does the continuation of Bruce after the events of the Dark Knight so well. Its so powerful to see the effects those traumatic events had on him, and how he overcomes it. How he overcomes Rachel's death and is able to live a normal life at the end without her. Each movie tells it's individual story. Nothing is repeated and the themes make sense within the characters. Two Joker/Dent movies could of course be great, but if you're only doing 3 batman movies, do something different with each one.

[@thephantomsplit]

Heath Ledger's Joker is one of the best, if not, THE BEST Joker performance in cinematic history. God rest his soul. EDIT: At 5:34, if you see the bookshelf behind Commissioner Gordon, you see that the left side I neatly organized, while the right side is disheveled looking and messy, foreshadowing when Dent becomes Two-Face

[@Oxaxau]

Mike Matei is much better

[@timewarriorsaga]

Fuck no, mark Hamill, jack Nicholson, and Cesar Romero been good, everyone else has been shit

[@ikeillue8385]

I would very strongly disagree. He absolutely was one of the best villains in cinematic history, but it wasn't a very good joker. I know, this is an incredibly unpopular opinion, but I stand by that.

[@meganparrish807]

Phoenix was no slouch in the role either.

[@bamaboyz8978]

He’s not one of the best, he is THE best

[@ThePa1riot]

I just love how excited and happy Doug is reviewing this.

[@Thespeedrap]

It was a good movie and I can see why it's still regarded as the Citizen Kane of superhero films.But what the hell did Bale had to do that horrible voice in the this and the next one.It was just way too laughable for a serious movie they drop the ball for me🤨😄😄😄

[@kenrickkahn]

Dong is a fan..

[@alifakhrzadeh1544]

@@Thespeedrap I was about to say Bales bat voice could be used as a comedy as “I’m not wearing hockey pads” is used as a funny quote maybe this shows that even serious movies can use humor to spice things up I think there’s some cheeky things in this movie to not make it “so serious”. Second his boat thought of two face makes sense however the general public didn’t know he turned raw so it didn’t work with the plot about him bringing hope so I understand why the joker designs this scene and he also is diabolical where he leaves dark twisted innuendos for others to view

[@PeterDivine]

"The thing about chaos: it's _fair._ " I fucking LOVE how perfect that line is. There is no better comment, so succinct and abrupt, that could possibly convince Harvey to turn into Two-Face. P.S. Critic, did you catch the part where the Calculator (the mob accountant) was kept on top of the pile of money to burn with it?

[@Spthomas47]

He says yes and no.

[@nitemuller1966]

This line and so many others by the Joker in this movie is some of the best writing in movie history. Example: The interrogation scene, and how the Joker explains why he uses a knife. Pure gold!!

[@marmik961]

You mispelled fear. But yes that is a great line, pretty much everything the Joker said in this movie is iconic.

[@geardog24]

26:08 Seeing that inmate throw the detonator out the window was perfect example of "Everyone can change for the better."

[@bookgirl0869]

One of my Favorite scenes

[@doloreslehmann8628]

Honestly, in the scene with the two ferries, I was literally waiting for the Joker to reveal that the remote actually would activate the bomb on their OWN ship, so if anyone tried to save themselves by killing the other party, they would unknowingly kill themselves. I still think that would have been a great twist.

[@Xarfax321]

I think that it would've been better if the Joker was just planning to blow up everyone no matter what button they pressed. Proving a point and have one group survive? Psssch, whats so funny about that, its more fun if everyone would be blown up either way no matter what they thought!! Suckeeeers, hahahahahahahaaaa!!!!

[@estebangutierrez160]

I think what would've been better if the ferries and the building that the Joker is in would all blow up not just the two ferries.

[@danielanderson8322]

While that's a "good" joke for another time, I just don't feel that's what he was going for. He genuinely wanted to prove that deep down no one is that different from him and that the real joke is the one everyone constantly tells themselves everyday of their lives: *that people like him are insane.* The punchline would've been for these "good" people to go on with their lives, and living not just with their choice but the truth

[@doloreslehmann8628]

@@danielanderson8322 That's a great interpretation, and that could actually be what the joker was going for. But honestly, I think people are just too good at lying to themselves. They would have gone on with their lives, feeling remorse, yes, but telling themselves: "We're still the good ones. He made us do it. He's the bastard. We had no choice."

[@carlotta4th]

i thought that would happen too, but it wouldn't be a twist because he'd already lied about which person was where in the earlier scene.

[@mrandrews3616]

I still remember watching this at the cinema with my grandfather. My experience with Batman was the cartoons, my grandfather thought Batman was still like the 60's. I don't know which of us was more traumatised.

[@Micke12312]

You didn't see begins first?

[@mrandrews3616]

@Micke12312 I was under 10 years old at the time

[@shainewhite2781]

21:47, that would have been brilliant right there, with the title saying, "To be continued...."

[@Storminlikeelnino]

“Wait, why not just blame the Joker for all these deaths? He’s been killing people the entire movie. Vilifying Batman makes no sense!” -Honest Trailers

[@1997residente]

Maybe if that happens, Joker or Any of his goons would find a way to kidnap Gordon and or his family and expose them to TV Cameras and asking them "WHO KILLED HARVEY DENT?! WHAT DID HARVEY DENT DO TO CERTAIN PEOPLE? DID HE KILL PEOPLE? TELL THE TRUTH OR YOU WILL DIE" Or something more sadistic. I think Joker is perfectly fine with Batman taking the blame and not existing anymore. But i keep wondering; What happened to him in Dark Knight Rises? Is he still in Arkham? Was he one of Bane´s goons?

[@normansmith9009]

@@1997residente there was supposed to be a scene with him in dark knight rises in which he's the only inmate who isn't realeased because bane considered him too dangerous

[@shawnwarrynn8609]

Yeah, I also never got that part. Even if it's true that they're going to have to eventually lie to keep Harvey's reputation clean they could have just as easily pinned the blame on the Joker or one of his many lackeys and goons.

[@jadenbryant9283]

@@shawnwarrynn8609 yeah they could have blamed it on the goons of joker

[@jp3813]

The area was surrounded by cops, and the only people they'll find there are Batman, Two-Face, and the Gordons. One is bound to be blamed for Harvey's demise regardless of whether they link the other deaths with it, and there was no Joker goon in sight.

[@zigslotheon]

To quote Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker: “Beneath this…puckish exterior lies the mind of a genius years ahead of my time”.

[@jessedellross3245]

Mark Hamill will always be my favorite Joker. But heath ledger’s performance……wow. Rip. Taken from us far too soon.

[@thefanwithoutaface8105]

Yup it's easily one of the best performances I've ever seen. I litterally cant see any of Heath Ledger in this performance, he's the Joker and is unrecognizable as anything else. He EARNED that Oscar. I just hate the fact that like Brandon Lee as the Crow, he died before he could see his success.

[@jessedellross3245]

@@thefanwithoutaface8105 same. Normally you can see an actor even as their character. A part of it is the makeup but I believe heath legit lost himself in some ways. The things he did to become this character are extreme to say the least. And I always wondered if it played a part in his death.

[@DoktahDoktah]

My favorite part of this Joker is that nobody tried to top it. Everybody just went a different direction and had their own success.

[@Overseer2579]

Except for Jared Leto. A rather UN-successful attempt to do something different, if you ask me

[@antoineboone3951]

@@Overseer2579 I knew someone was going to respond to that comment like this.🤣🤣🤣

[@shadows_star]

Yeah...I mean hard to try to top a dead-mans perfect performance. Not only is it difficult, but also extremely disrespectful.

[@bobbyevans8136]

This Joker is great. But his laugh is not the strongest in his performance. Hammil and Nicholson have him beat easily.

[@CantRead1]

​@@bobbyevans8136 it's impossible to be above Hammil's Joker laugh if we are being real here.

[@thefanwithoutaface8105]

11:06 No Fox basically tells him what a stupid idea it would be to blackmail Batman, especially when the person in question knows he's Batman. Essentially it's a warning/threat.

[@realJoeMavro]

I think it's a double entendre. He is implying that messing with a guy who beats criminals to a pulp is a bad idea, but he's also pointing out how ludicrous it's going to sound.

[@alternativebeel852]

The quote "you can either die a hero or live Long enough to see yourself become the villain" Is my favorite quote I've found.

[@kevinboudreaux7860]

21:25 Finally someone agrees with me! I’ve always thought that it was meant to be 2 movies but they had to edit it together because of Heath Legers passing. I’m completely enthralled up to the Jokers escape, but there’s just too much happening to fast in the last third.

[@Micke12312]

Yes! The movie is way to long. I actually only likes the first hour or so

[@valerierosario491]

This movie was truly special! The acting,the story-everything worked!

[@typoking]

there was a film theory that Joker in this film was telling the different victims different stories based on their perceived backgrounds and personal histories. he made the stories relatable to each of the people he told it to, changing bits and pieces as needed to drive the fear and tension for the other characters home.

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

The version he gives to Gambol definitely would line up with the sort of backstory you'd give a crime boss.

[@JokersPalace3384]

You know, I’m of the same mind that if they stopped this movie at the scene where Harvey goes insane, it would have been even more amazing. Even though the last act was still done well, a cliffhanger like that would have been awesome.

[@titanguy7316]

Maybe I would have been okay with it today, but my 18-year old self would have been pissed and went off on a "WTF?" rant in the theater.

[@xstube9621]

i agree, i started to get bored after that,the movie already hit the climax and it goes downhill after that. Also it undermines two-face development, did he got split personality?, was he only seeking revenge? did he have a plan with a goal?, it feels too sidelined with more joker madness. Ending with batman failing to save them both would have been perfect for a sequel, how would he return?, why?, a lost oportunity

[@silvervalleystudios2486]

@@xstube9621 One of my biggest disappointments of this film was the underutilization of Two Face. Then after watching it again I noticed how all those Harvey Dent scenes foreshadowed the development of the Two Face psyche so well that it worked. I found that hype and expectation of the character to have more screen time made audiences not realize how brilliantly Two Face was written in this move.

[@NateMegOfficial]

@@xstube9621 I’m not sure bored is the right word, but the last bit of the movie is unrelenting for sure. Like there’s no break in anything for the last hour. It’s a great movie but it’s also a cinematic horse pill.

[@DvanderPluijm]

Agreed. I actually got bored after that scene, like there's only so much adrenalin my body can produce for one climax, let alone two or three. If they'd ended the movie there it could have given us a movie with Two Face as the main villain instead of the, eh, mediocre movie with Bane and the daughter of R'as (or however you write it).

[@ninjanibba4259]

Harvey Dent is the best representation here and no one really talks about him, Aaron is amazing and believable as the good turned into bad throughout the movie, from scene 1 of his appearance his arc and foreshadowing of the corrupt cops are there, plus the dynamic between him and Gordon are something too, it’s why the final scene works so well cuz it was built up and earned, you truly feel their connection is severed as Harvey is desperate for correctness

[@JamesASharp]

Yeah. But, the fans are mad because he was killed off. I think it works.

[@ninjanibba4259]

@@JamesASharp it sure does work, this movie was to show how bad things would get and all the casualties with it, that’s why Rises took advantage of Gotham being vulnerable “Peace has cost you your strength, victory has defeated you” is the theme of not only Batman but Gotham itself, it’s how Bane was able to infiltrate in the first place, Joker tore it up but built on a lie of Dent, Gotham felt safe again cuz they had no idea of what he did in the end….it’s truly brilliant

[@theitfactorjameswheezer2852]

@@JamesASharp I think it’s cause he was barely two face. His brief appearance as the character is brilliant

[@marioaustin9312]

I still think harvey appearing in DKR would have been for the best, even if ledger hadn't died. I mean we got another scarecrow cameo in that movie

[@ninjanibba4259]

@@marioaustin9312 where would he have fitted in though?

[@axelnilsson5124]

When you said that it should have ended after 1 hour and 40 minutes and showed Harvey half face screaming in his hospital bed and then edit in the end credits you definitely convinced me that it should have ended there

[@carlotta4th]

Personally I find that a bit overdone. I do agree this film had enough for two movies, though, and that if they'd just expanded on the second portion they could have done that very well.

[@SomeoneThatIsHappy]

Heath died the same year the movie released, so if they did that then the second portion wouldn't be as good as this movie

[@co81385]

As much as I love the movie for what it is, I do agree that you could have had everything with Two Face as its own separate movie. You could have ended this movie with the Joker getting captured, but with Two Face emerging, as a lead-in to the third film.

[@georgethomas4567]

I still love all the little details that you can miss because you're so focused on the characters and dialogue that even when it's literally right in front of you, you still miss it. For example I bet half of you never noticed The Joker had his finger between the hammer of Harvey's gun in the hospital. So even if Harvey pulled the trigger it wouldn't go off. Showing how he's still toying and manipulating Harvey to get the results he wants. It wasn't about whether Harvey pulled the trigger or not. It was about breaking him, corrupting him and that one scene shows just how smart the Joker really is. Or how while Batman is beating the shit out of Joker he breaks the glass. Which Joker then uses a shard of to take his hostage in order to escape. Just love this film so much for details like that.

[@AbbasKhan9364]

Yes, we all saw that Did You Know? Image about that scene..

[@oddjob914]

That’s new to me. Thanks for pointing that out :)

[@spidergatian385]

All mostly good points, though the hammer point for the gun is a bit of a reach, meaning unintentionally done. The editing is inconsistent, some shots he is, some he's not. An unintentional great addition that someone could take from the movie

[@IBrowneeI]

The one detail skipped over that I think is most important for all the live action Batman movies to come... This movie is where Batman was finally able to turn his head. They even make a joke about it in the movie, a specific detail he wanted with his new suit was to be able to turn his head. That knowledge made me rewatch every live action move from 89 onwards, and god, how uncomfortable every one of those actors must have been trying to do those action scenes.

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

"You want to be able to turn your head?" "Sure would make backing out of the driveway a lot easier."

[@AndreNitroX]

21:40 that ending would have given me mega chills😱

[@RedHeadKevin]

The scene with Gordon's wife makes me wonder if Batman was really in on Gordon's faked death plan. If he is, it seems weird that he'd go watch the scene where the cops tell his wife that he'd been murdered and act all sad about it, just so Mrs Gordon could yell at him. It's also a really messed-up plan to torture that family for a few days thinking Jim is dead. Did they ever let Mrs. Gordon see the body? Isn't that a pretty standard thing to do when a spouse dies?

[@yoda908]

It's messed up yes but the GCPD had to make it believable. Even in this Batman universe you don't know who to trust which does include the GCPD. So anyone looking to track down Gordon through his family would be forced to look elsewhere. Batman was probably present to make sure the family was safe.

[@Dreadjaws]

To be fair, the city was submerged into chaos. It would have been easy to come up with an excuse not to let her see the body. And Batman could have gone there simply to take the hit, realizing that Gordon's wife might need someone to discharge on.

[@LucianDevine]

They had to burn the forest down to catch the bandit.

[@LucianDevine]

@@yoda908 Even in the Batman universe? You mean ESPECIALLY in the Batman universe. With somebody as chaotically brilliant as Joker, he could have literally anybody under his thumb, even before he takes complete control of all organized crime in the city and whatever mole's they may already have in place.

[@clusterflick6333]

@@Dreadjaws He was there to pay his respects. Gordon was, above all, his friend, and he wanted to be there for his family when they got the news he was gone, like a friend would (even if he only watched from the shadows).

[@ninjabunnywholivesinsideaw8216]

As good as these movies are, they really didn't give Scarecrow, one of my favorite Batman villians ever, enough screen time. Uh, C-can we get a Scarecrow movie, please?

[@Scorpshee]

As someone who also loves Scarecrow, completely agree. We need either a standalone or one where he’s the primary villain.

[@Overseer2579]

Agreed

[@kosho88]

It wasn’t until my third or fourth watch of this movie that I realized that Nolan showed that Lao was sitting at the top of the money pile being bullied by the joker right before he “Scrooge McDucked” down the pile. I never realized that when joker lights the money on fire, Lao was still up there. No screaming, no charred body, no pleas for help or mercy, just your imagination of a Chinese mobster who was rightfully afraid of Joker meeting his untimely death. Masterful work by Nolan!

[@JAMISRA]

wtf i’ve seen it way more than 4 times and never noticed Lao on top of the pile

[@jp3813]

11:03 Actually, Lucius basically says that Bruce would beat the crap out of anyone who tries to blackmail him. 24:43 Chance isn't the same as choice.

[@spidergatian385]

For someone who supposedly hates the Joel Schumacher Batman, Doug really took the whole "it involves 2 boats? The number two?! Should have been two-face. Makes no sense it's anyone else" thing to heart

[@jp3813]

​@@spidergatian385 To be fair, that's how he was in the comics when it was aimed at kids. Though I'm not sure why Doug didn't notice the same thing about Batman having to choose between saving Dent or Rachel.

[@antonstbar4994]

I always though that the jokers “point” is your choices don’t matter. The cops go to shoot the clowns, but they’re the hostages. Batman tries to save Rachael but the joker gave him the wrong address. And by extension, my head canon is that the people on the ferries had the detonators to their own bombs. It fits he tells them “kill them or I kill you all” and then they kill themselves trying to survive. It’s a very joker thing to do.

[@jacindaellison3363]

Yeesh, another point to show how terrifying he is!

[@collingill8785]

In the scene 25:14 at if you pay close attention they both got into the car and didn’t fasten their seatbelts yet. When Harvey says “your driver” he puts on a seatbelt in between your cuts and shoots the driver crashing the car and killing the mob boss.

[@BlazerK1914]

Sub-Zero: “How many times have you fought your nemesis?” Batman: “Not enough.” Sub-Zero: “Shall I try?” Batman: “First and only rule, do not kill.” Sub-Zero: *sighs*

[@levelheaded0038]

I always love when the NC reviews movies he genuinely loves. There's a certain energy he has that just sucks you in

[@Overseer2579]

I know right? It reminds me of the same energy I had when I wrote my review for Eighth Grade after I saw it in theaters for the first time. Just pure excitement and euphoria

[@teresasevy1563]

"Green Lantern thought it was pretty" had me undone. Seriously Doug? Not going to mention Freeman's brilliant "you plan to blackmail him? Good luck." ? It's one of my favorite parts!

[@MazeDaGr8]

The Dark Knight & T2: Judgment Day are the prime examples of the sequel being MILES Better than the Original

[@erubin100]

Don't forget Spiderman 2 and Empire Strikes Back.

[@cameronclophus7998]

The Rescuers Down Under

[@Phanthief95]

Also Empire Strikes Back, Spider-Man 2, X-Men 2, & Winter Soldier.

[@kenjihirata9961]

What about The Godfather part II?

[@killar1one]

@@kenjihirata9961 the second isn’t miles better, infact I prefer the first

[@KoolKeithProductions]

@10:55 l dont think the point of Fox's conversation with that guy was to get him to think that no one would believe him. Fox basically implied that IF Bruce (a billionaire) was so messed up in the head that at night he chooses to dress up as a bat to hunt down and punch dangerous criminals in the face, would it be WISE to blackmail someone like that? What do you think a person like THAT would do to HIM? lol

[@kingalec6446]

“Hey thanks Batman- I guess I ruined that!” That line killed me.

[@michaelmcdonnell5574]

"You and me are destined to do this forever" And we would have watched you do forever, truly the greatest Joker in film history.

[@LucianDevine]

You'll be in a padded cell forever.

[@jessedellross3245]

That line is just heartbreaking knowing Heath passed away afterward

[@dreadpiraterobertsnumba5]

23:09 "Hey Batman, could you pass the mustard?"

[@pixelwizard9652]

Ha, a game grumps reference.

[@shainewhite2781]

RIP, Heath Ledger, he posthumously won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. He did one hell of a job on portraying the Clown Prince of Crime.

[@chayden153]

Definitely on of the better Joker actors

[@ikeillue8385]

I would actually disagree with you completely. He did a completely awful job portraying the joker. Now, before you and the rest of the internet burn me at the stake, I will say that he portrayed one of the best cinema villains we have ever gotten on screen. There was just very little "clown prince of crime" about it.

[@chayden153]

@@ikeillue8385 true, but compared to Jared Leto he's better.

[@ikeillue8385]

@@chayden153 That isn't exactly saying much. Leto has a grand total of like 45 seconds of screen time.

[@connorshaw-case6030]

@@ikeillue8385 you're a actual muppet, most people compare any joker performance now to heath ledger, animated always falls on mark Hamill. but honestly man, are you that spoilt? go back and watch 70s spiderman or 60s batman. you got so much so good your metric for "awful" is pretty fucked to say the least.

[@samkresil6011]

22:45 Rachel: "Oh really? Then why has he decided now after I just died? By the way, I'm still mad at Bruce for letting Harvey taking the fall for it"

[@tthomaselli2]

"I'm not a monster... I'm just ahead of the curve.". --The Joker.

[@_GeneralMechanics_]

I have a personal saying: "There's a fine line between Madness and Genius, and I'm doing cartwheels on it every day." Heath Ledger's performance encapsulated that brilliantly and redefined an entire generation of what makes the Joker "the Joker."

[@TanmanC]

I LOVE, love, how Joker’s identity is a mystery. I feel like so many modern movie makers would have some twist, so I love how it’s a secret.

[@LucyLioness100]

And using two different stories is haunting & keeps up the mystery

[@Jarod-vg9wq]

I agree, to me it’s also what makes joker scary, authorities study criminals Test in their behaviour in order to understand them, control them even them even, no the joggers there is the understanding him everything about his past is it enigma, we don’t know where he was born, how he was raised or even who raised him, does he even remembers his past? He’s stated he remembers his past differently often he may not even remember his past or which memory is real and which one he made up, and that’s to me what Helps makes the clown prince of crime scary, Who he was before he kindergarten is a mystery and I think he likes it that way maybe it’s past it’s too painful for him to remember or he does not to remember who it was for he became the Joker, It has I think doesn’t really matter to him anymore on the merits of him is causing chaos well also proving that society and life in itself is a joke and all it takes is one. Bad. Day. To make someone like he is.

[@jidtoons]

Also seeing the joker disguised as a police officer when he tries to shoot the mayor is probably the closest you’ll get to uncovering his identity since he does not have his makeup on, But that’s only on the surface level and it still isn’t much Plus seeing him without the makeup makes him even creepier since you can still see his Glasgow smile, and dirty teeth!

[@Overseer2579]

Ikr? It’s one of those examples where not knowing what made this villain become who they are makes them even more frightening. It’s the reverse of movies like One Hour Photo or Psycho, where they make the mistake of OVER explaining the main antagonist’s history and motivations at the end; it just ruins the fun of being scared by them as villains. Plus, Nolan and David S. Goyer (who shared story credit with him on this picture) consciously, according to IMDb, decided from the start they would not explore the Joker’s actual backstory at all, to make him more mysterious and creepy

[@rhetiq9989]

One thing I really admire about this movie is how much it gives time to show the Gotham citizens, aka the minor characters, voicing their opinions in lots of moments. During the boat scene you see about two or three people constantly bickering about and they made the situation all the more lively which amped up the stakes. Another one was the guy sitting next to Gordon in the police van during the Dent escort who made constant remarks about the situation from start to finish, it gave us a wider perspective on that entire ordeal from the police’s eyes. There’s other small moments like these sprinkled across the movie which made Gotham a true living and breathing city, not just a simple setting. Sometimes they even remind me of those cheesy extras in the Raimi trilogy too

[@Igorcastrochucre]

The scene with the two boats where the criminals and the law-abiding citizens can't justify killing each other feels so... human. Like the criminals have reached rock bottom and have little to lose, but don't do it and the citizens know it's unfair them vs the others, but they can't bring themselves or else they'll be as bad as the criminals for doing it or letting it happen. For a movie that leans heavily on the realistic and the gritty, this moment of humanity shines through.

[@whatsawhizzerwebnovels4927]

I always like to imagine that joker switched the detonators, so if the civilians pulled it, they'd blow up, if the prisoners pulled there's, they blowed it. In the end, you were chosing your own fate, not the others. Felt like a very joker thing... a third layer of irony.

[@LucianDevine]

That scene was pretty awesome. The citizens talking about how they deserve to live, with the loudmouth guy finally stepping up after the vote, but not being able to do it. Then we have the criminals who were a little shocked at first, but then calmed down and just accepted what was going to happen, with the big guy only stepping in when the guard couldn't bring himself to do what he shoulda done 20 minutes ago. He asks for it, even says that the guy can say he took it by force, just to suddenly toss it away! 2 groups of people on opposite ends of the legal spectrum, each ending up in the same place, despite all of the perfectly logical reasons not to. Critic is spot on when he says it could have just been a Gotham movie, because of how much screen time is dedicated scenes without the main characters. It was ultimately a battle for the soul of Gotham though. So that screen time was more than warranted and fantastically used and acted.

[@thebatman4279]

In reality though, those prisoners would 100% have pressed that detonator within about 8 seconds.

[@Zenn_Chan]

I remember the scene where the criminal threw the detonator out blew my mind as a kid, the idea that the bad people, the criminals could still be good men.

[@feathero3]

@@thebatman4279 I strongly disagree. If anything I'd believe the civilian crew would press it even faster out of fear of the criminals. You doubting the prisoners shows right there that you have a similar mind set to the scared people, and scared people act irrationally and on impulse.

[@thefanwithoutaface8105]

16:41 Except we know it's a trick coin, something only Harvey knows, meaning he always knows what the result will be, thus showing he'd never actually make do on the threat.

[@nickx1754]

Interesting points of view from Critic. While I disagree about ending the film with Harvey screaming about losing Rachel, it would have indeed have been a very haunting way to end the movie.

[@MrMarinus18]

I actually would have liked Bruce to get more emotional there. That he actually shows real vulnerability and embraces his only real friend, sobbing in his embrace. It would have very strong feels and it wouldn't have eroded his masculinity at all.

[@fellowkrieger457]

I still like that they kept going on. Joker was making madness all around, but he needed a big goal. And giving him the "I can turn down Harvey Justice Dent" was good. He wasn't just pure chaos and vague threat blowing things around. He identified what was the pillar of the city, and twisted it. It acts on a greater scale. He is a mad genius, with actual compression of the human mind. He is the corruption. He can turn bystanders into murderer if he threatens an hospital. But his great piece of art is, to corrupt even the champion of the good side.

[@clericofchaos1]

I'll definitely agree that if the dark knight had ended where critic said it should have ended and got a fully fleshed out dark night pt2, the whole thing would have been waaaaaay better. That act 4 really killed the moment, at least in my opinion.

[@kwayneboy1524]

That actually be great it could end hauntingly with Bruce giving his closing dialogue sounding defeated and it all ending with Harvey's silent yells adds to the sadness. The sequel could begin with Batman tracking down joker while the rest is Harvey slowly becoming Two-Face with him starting to loath Batman and Jim.

[@biffyqueen]

I agree, the only problem is the lack of Heath Ledger.

[@orangeslash1667]

@@biffyqueen I was wondering the same thing.

[@LucianDevine]

@@biffyqueen Yeah, they wouldn't have known it at the time, and it would have been a tragic end for the epic story. People already didn't want to take the role, knowing they'd be compared to Jack Nicholson. So trying to replace Heath after such an epic movie. Talk about impossibly big shoes to fill!

[@titanguy7316]

I was fine with it the way it was.

[@brandonmclendon5368]

I’m still in awe of Heath Ledger’s performance

[@chasehedges6775]

It’s just….. glorious

[@Rgoid]

Too bad his makeup was crap.

[@chasehedges6775]

@@Rgoid WHAT!? His makeup is fantastic

[@arcrisgonzaga7324]

@@Rgoid what do you mean? The makeup is pretty good

[@QuantaSolace]

@@Rgoid You’re clowning, right? It fit the dark and gritty tone that this movie had.

[@some_metalhead]

11:02 To be fair, Fox doesn’t say no one will believe him, he basically tells him it’s not a great idea to try and blackmail someone who could easily beat the shit out of you.

[@swagman8011]

This movie has so many iconic batman scenes, and scenes with the villains, Bruce, alfred, Rachel, and even Morgan Freeman

[@CesarDaSalad]

"Morgan Freeman as Morgan Freeman" 😂

[@Markimark151]

This has to be my favorite Batman movie, The Dark Knight has Christian Bale as Batman and especially Heath Ledger as the Joker! And Christopher Nolan’s direction makes this movie so cool!

[@masterknife8423]

Except Christian Bale's awful as Batman. Even his version of Bruce Wayne wasn't that good he felt like an older toned down Patrick Bateman

[@Markimark151]

@@masterknife8423 it’s debatable which actor is people’s favorite Batman, one of my friend, loves Adam West as Batman!

[@LucianDevine]

The whole chase scene with car crashes and explosions is everything Bay wishes he could make, lol. He uses them in lieu of plot points, where here they fit in perfectly as part of the plot. As Critic said, the fact that they used practical effects whenever they could also makes it feel more real.

[@The5armdamput33]

27:09 "There is an irony that they're saying that spying on people is wrong, but lying about who killed people is fine..." - The movie is not saying that spying is wrong; the movie is justifying it with the situation it set up and having that be the solution without having any negative repercussions... - Lucius Fox briefly dissented... slightly... but that was countered by the "hero" of the story endorsing the idea of mass surveillance without the slightest hesitation or remorse....

[@GamiCross]

17:28 'You Can't Do That On Television' reference? Wow, that's a long pull!

[@ChannelAwesome]

Going deep in the bag

[@daviddiett2168]

Apparently this was David Dastmalchian's (the asylum patient Harvey threatens in the alley) first film role after doing years in theatre and after this he's made multiple comic book film roles including Polka Dot Man in last years Suicide Squad film. He also got the chance to work with another version of the Joker in the Gotham TV show.

[@jessehcreative]

He’s also the “Baba Yaga” guy from Ant-Man / What If?, right?

[@mikeyoung735]

I just can't get over how perfect Goofy's iconic scream matches the truck flipping! You win video editing gags, Doug!

[@btc1994]

Every great movie has 1 or 2 perfect scenes. This movie has several. The interrogation scene, The Joker in the hospital with Two Face, The Joker introducing himself to the mob, Alfred's story to Bruce, The chase scene. Truly one of the greatest films of all time

[@CaptainCJ97]

21:35 honestly I wouldn't mind if it ended here

[@80MWH]

16:18 It took me some years to come to terms with Nolan’s story points for Bruce, and it does seem loke he only had two goals at the end of his crusade: 1) Take down the mob 2) End up with Rachel So after the end, despite Gordon claiming “he’ll keep going,” it was all a fantasy, because Bruce has nothing left to fight for. Mob’s destroyed by the Joker, Rachel is dead. As Alfred said in TDKR, he never moved on so he’s stuck.

[@titanguy7316]

One of the big things I liked about Rises. Alfred calls Bruce out on a lot of stuff, which Bruce eventually realizes is right (and he should do better).

[@ghazghkullthraka9714]

19:05 I love that Joker looks genuinely confused by Batman ducking under the truck

[@diegozizumbo-ortiz6427]

After all these years, the critic has finally done it! One of the best superhero movies of all time

[@Batman1998-]

The best^